Home Detox

10 Steps to Get Toxic Chemicals Out of Your Home

At Made Safe® (Made With Safe Ingredients), we believe that products should be made without known carcinogens, behavioral, reproductive, and neuro toxins, hormone disruptors, heavy metals, high risk pesticides, flame retardants, toxic solvents, and harmful VOCs—and that it should be easy for you to find and buy those products.

We also believe that you should have the information you need to start avoiding chemicals in your life, and we want to make that easy, too. The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to begin to detox your home, in addition to looking for the MADE SAFE seal.

Remember that every step to reduce toxics is a good and meaningful step, and has impact toward a healthier environment for you and your family!

2. Rug pads.Rug pads also contain foam filled with flame retardants. If you have a carpet with a rug pad, have the pad removed. Flame retardants are among some ofthe most persistent and toxic chemicalsfound in homes. Use non-toxic double-sided tape to prevent sliding instead.

3. New furniture purchases. Many sofas, recliners, and children’s furniture itemscan also contain foamthat contains flame retardants. Make a note for all future furniture purchases to shop flame retardant-free items made from natural fabrics.

4. Non-stick cookware. The coating in non-stick cookware like Teflon contains perfluorinated compounds, including Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has beenlinked to cancerand is releasedwhen Teflon is heated. Opt instead for stainless steel or cast iron cookware.

5. Dry cleaning. Perchloroethylene (PERC), the most common cleaning solvent used for dry cleaning, gets trapped into clothing once “cleaned” andslowly off-gasesinto your home. It can harm the brain and central nervous system, damage the liver and kidneys, and is likely to cause cancer,according to the NRDC. Instead, use the traditional laundry wash/dry/fold option, using fragrance-free detergent if possible. Which brings us to…

6. Fragrance. Some of the scents we’ve grown to love, like freshly folded laundry, that lemony clean smell, or cinnamon-scented room fresheners are loaded with allergens and harmful chemicals like phthalates and synthetic musks.Common chemicals in fragrancehave been linked to longer-term damage like obesity, diabetes, infertility, ADD, and ADHD. Fragrance chemicals are rarely disclosed on product labels, hidden instead under the umbrella term “fragrance.” Reduce your use of fragranced products where you can.

7. Pesticides. The cancer rates in children are up 25% since 1975. ThePesticide Action Networkhas taken a very clear stand relating this to the increase in use of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. The American Academy of Pediatrics points topesticide residue in foodas the most critical route of exposure, which luckily, is one we have some control over. Buy organic food where possible, and refer to resources like thePesticide Action Networkto find foods grown with less pesticides.

8. Plastics.Between phthalates, BPA, biodegradability issues, and more, there may not actually be any “safe” plastics. But we live in a world where plastics are abundant, and frankly, hard to avoid. Try toreduce plastic use where you can, and opt for better plastics like polyethylene #1, #2, #4 as well as polypropylene #5. All the others are to be avoided. Don’t expose them to high heat: never microwave with them and don’t put them in the dishwasher. Switch out for an alternative whenever possible.

9. Cleaning products. Products for cleaning your home can contain harmful chemicals from phthalates (endocrine disrupting chemicals) to make them smell good, to pesticides (see above, for killing germs and mold) and more. They’re associated with asthma, cancer, reproductive and developmental toxicity, allergies, burns and poisonings, according toWomen’s Voices for the Earth.Disinfectants and antibacterial cleaners usually contain registered pesticides that represent unnecessary exposures for everyday household use. Reduce your use of disinfectants andconsider making your own.

10. Personal Care & Salon Products. Chemical hair straighteners can contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Most conventional hair dyes contain ammonia, parabens, sulfates, and 1,4-dioxane, among other known cancer-causing chemicals. Many nail polishes contain something known as the “toxic trio,” a blend of toluene (linked to neurological damage and reproductive harm), DBP (linked to hormone disruption), and formaldehyde (known carcinogen), which even on their own are bad. Learn more about toxic chemicals insalon productsandcosmetics. Make a point to replace what you have with less toxic brands.

MADE SAFE® is proud to be a part of the 1% for the Planet network, which connects businesses and nonprofits to protect the planet. If you own a business, consider joining 1% for the Planet, naming MADE SAFE as your beneficiary.

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